Location and climate
Oberkirch is located in the Ortenau, a subregion of the Baden wine-growing region Baden in Baden-Württemberg. The town lies on the western foothills of the Black Forest and at the entrance to the Rench valley. The wine-growing area extends between the Upper Rhine plain in the west and the foothills of the Black Forest in the east.
The location is associated with a mild climate. For Oberkirch, around 1,750 hours of sunshine and 800 to 1,000 millimetres of rainfall per year are given. The vineyards are around 190 to 410 metres above sea level.
Landscape and soils
The vineyards of the Ortenau around Oberkirch include steep slopes at the transition between the Black Forest and the Rhine plain. Granite weathering material is described as the characteristic subsoil. In the Rench valley, alluvial sediments, Rench gravels and the underlying Oberkirch granite also occur.
The municipal climate protection report documents the permanent greening of the vineyards since the 1980s and 1990s. The first vineyards laid out on cross-terraces were created to make cultivation easier and to preserve biodiversity on the embankments.
Viticulture and grape varieties
Viticulture in Oberkirch comprises around 550 hectares and is predominantly characterised by steep sites. About 430 hectares are marketed jointly by the Oberkirch vintners cooperative (Oberkircher Winzer eG), while the remaining areas are owned by private wineries. The documented main grape varieties include Spätburgunder, Riesling, Grauburgunder and Weißburgunder. Production includes both red and white wines, including wines based on Spätburgunder and Riesling.
Under Oberkirch, the wine sites Renchtäler and Schloßberg are listed.
History and classification
According to local information, viticulture in the region dates back to Roman times and is first documented in writing in the 11th century. The local cooperative was founded on 14 October 1951 by 21 winegrowers as the Renchtäler winegrowers’ cooperative (Renchtäler Winzergenossenschaft). Its documented structure combines grape growing, wine making and marketing.
Oberkirch belongs to the Baden wine-growing region, which is assigned to EU wine-growing zone B as the only German quality wine-growing region. As a result, higher minimum must weights apply there than in the German wine-growing zones A and C.
